Internal-combustion engine.



W. B. S. WHALEY & A. L. GALUSHA.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7, 1907. 1,039,865, Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

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W. B. S. WHALEY & A. L. GALUSHA.

INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 7, 1907.

1,039,865. Patented 0ct.1,1912.

;:7 V 2 SHEES-/IHEE'TZZ @370K Wr/7,3 `lQ /705 Q A j J] 'n a Whale"WILLIAM E. SMITH WHALEY AND ALBERT L. GAIUSHA, 0F BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNQRS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 THE REVERSIBLEGAS-ENGINE CGMEANY, @E ERTIAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

INTEENAL-COMBU'STION ENGINE.

Patented `oct. il, i912.

.application led October 7, i907, y Serial No. 396,290.

To aZZ whom it mag/concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM B. SMITH "WHALEY and 'ALBERT L. GALUSHA,both of Boston, in the county of Su'olk andState of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-CombustionEngines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,"and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use t-he same.

The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine, andis-embodied in an engine which is capable of being started on its ownignition, and which may also be provided with reversingGT mechanismwhereby the engine can be caused to run in either direction. Theinvention relates mainly to the controlling mechanism which is operatedto start and stop the engine, the purpose of the invent-ion being toprovide the engine with means whereby all operations which must beperformed to start the engine are performed by the movement of a singlecontroller or actuating device.

The engine embodying the invention is provided with at least threecylinders with cranks at approximately 120 apart around the crank shaft,there being, preferably, a multiple of three, six being the best number,for example, when the invention is applied, as shown, to a four-cycleengine. 1With the pistons arranged in this way,'the engine, afterrunning, will usually come to a standstill when the explosions of gascease, with two of the pistons or two pairs of pistons in successivelyoperating cylinders*substantially equi-distant from the'cylinder heads,and the cranks belonging to said pistons at opposite sides of .thecenter. Assuming, therefore, that the cylinders'are charged with anexplosive gas, the engine will start upon the ignition .of the gas ineither cylinder, the direction of movement depending upon the cylinderin which the chargezis exploded.

in order to make the engine reversible, it is necessary to reverse thevalve action prior to the starting of the engine and, in order to startthe engine successfully it is also necessary to control thc timing oftheignition 'so that the initial igniting effect in each cyllnder willtake place in the proper relation to the iston movement.

l/Vhi e the invention is applicable to any system of ignition the timeof which is controllable, a jump sparkignition system is herein shownfor purposes of illustration, the ignition being controlled by a timerof the usual construction, the said timer conslst-ing of a continuouslyrotating clement having a single contact which successively closes thecircuit through stationary contacts leading to the spark plugs in thedifferent cylinders. By stationary, as hereinafter used in thisconnection, is meant relatively stationary, 27. e., as distinguishedfrom the continually rotating member. The socalled stationary member,however, is adjustable between certain limits, for timing the ignition,"as will be described. In this construction, it is obvious that theignition takes place as soon as the rotating element comes in contactwith the stationary element, there being, moreover, a material intervalof time during which the spark is sustained owing to the necessary areaof contact surfaces. It becomes necessary, therefore, in reversing theengine, to control the timer by moving one or t-he other of the contactmembers a sufficient distance to bring the initial engagement into theproper relation to the piston movement when the traveling contact memberis moving in either direction. In the construction chosen forillustration, the normally stationarygpart of the timer is capable ofbeing moved bctween certain limits, the movement being effected throughthe operation of the controlling device which establishes the circuitfor starting thc engine and shifts the valve gear, if the engine isreversible. Incidentally, this movement may be of sufficient extent toinsure the establislnnent of the circuit through the proper timercontact similitaneously with the closure of the circuit through theoperating device, so that no manipulation of the timer is necessary tostart the engine.

it is further practicable, as will be hereinafter described, to providemeans for an independent manual control of the timer member for thepurpose of controlling the spark while the engine is running.

.Figurel is a side view, partly in elevation, and partly in section, ofan engine em. bodying the invention; Fig2 is a longitudinal verticalsection through the cylinders mainly for the purpose of showing therelative piston positions; Fig. 3- is an enlarged end elevation, partlyin section, looking to-v ward the left-hand side of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is avertical section along the timer shaft; Fig.4 5 is a plan view, partlyin ysect-ion, of the timer; and Fig. 6 is a slmilar view showing.

a modification.

A, B, C, represent three pairs of parallel cylinders, supported in anysuitable manner upon Ian engine bed or frame. Pistons a, a2,

'5, 52,' c, c2, are located in the cylinders and ignition taking placealternately in the cyli inders of each pair. Igniting devices f andsuitable valve mechanism are provided for the several cyllnders and areso timed and operated, as hereinafter described, as to give successivefiring in the various cylinders, so that inta four-cycle engine, thecranks will have six impulses for every two revolutions.

The several exhaust valves g are shown as provided with depending stemsg2 and springs g3 on these stems serve -to maintain the valves normallyupon and reutrn them to their seats. Below the lower ends of the valvestems, a cam shaft it is mounted in the framework of the engine andcarries several pairs of cams k2, h3, one pair of such cams, oppositelydisposed, being provided below each valve stemA and adapted to actuatethe valves, through the medium of intermediate devices presentlyexplained, to control the running of the engine in one direction or theother, said intermediate devices being part of the system which controlsthe stopping of the engine, and the starting of the same in eitherdirection.

lTo produce the desired operation, a slidemember z' is mounted betweenthe cam shaft and the valve stems, and is capable of longitudinalmovement. The movement of this slide-member is effected by means of a'lever lf: pivoted at k2 to the engine frame at one end thereof. A seriesof arms 7c3 are connected with the slide member i so as to be capable ofan oscillatory movement thereon,

pairs of cams h2, h3, each of said arms being provided with a head c* ofsuiiicient width to enable it to be shifted between the cam h2 and thecam h3 of a pair of cams without beingmoved out of alinement with thevalve stem under which said head is disposed. Each head /c4 is recessedfor the accommodation of a roller 105 to be engaged by the cams, when inoperation. The intermediate devices thus constructed and arrangedconstitute actuators for the valves, being adapted to operate thevalvesfor forward running of the engine when shifted so as to be moved -by onecam of each pair, or to operate the valves for reverse running of theengine, when oscillated by the other cam of each pair. The actuatorswill, of course, not be oscillated when they are caused to assume aposition intermediate of two cams, so that at such time, the valves willnot be operated and the engine will come to or remain at rest with allthe lexhaust valves closed.

In order to prevent ignition of the gases in the cylinders when theexhaust valves are put out of operation by the movement of the actuatorsto the intermediate position, the engine is also provided with means foralso suspending the ignition. As herein shown, the usual jumpasparkignition system is used, and by breaking the electric circuits whichinclude the sparkers, when the valve actuators are shifted tointermediate positions, such gas as may be drawn in through the intakeis trapped in the cylinders without being ignited. Under theseconditions, in a three or six cylinder engine with the cranks set at 120degrees apart, the machine will come to rest with the pistons in twocylinders, or two pairs of cylinders, equidistant from the cylinderheads, and with the pitmen inclined in opposite dircctions,`

as best shown in Fig. 3, and the charge in the two cylinders undersubstantially equal compression. This is because the two trapped chargesare practically equal in quantity and both under compression, so thatthe `pistons will stop when thc two charges come to a balance. Theengine can therefore, be started by merely selecting the cylinder inwhich the trapped chargejs to be fired, according to the direction inwhich it is desired that the engine shall run.

It is desirable that common means be provided for making and breakingthe electric circuit of the sparkers and for shifting the valveactuators, as the separate actuating of these devices would require veryskilful manipulation, and the proper starting of the engine would dependrather upon the skill of the operator, than upon the surer and saferoperation of the structural features of the machine, which is a matterof much importance in the operation of an engine of the type to which myinvention relates. To provide means for the accomplishment of theresults above outlined, the devices now to be described have been foundto be eiicient.

The lever c,'by means of which the valve actuators are shifted ashereinbefore eirplained, is provided with a latch Am provided with a toem2 to enter any one of a; series of three notches n2, n3, n, 1n an armor segment n secured t'o the engine. It is apparent that when the toe ofthe latch engages one of the notches n2 or 71,4 the valve actuators willbe retained in proper position to cause the valve to be operated, eitherfor forward running of the engine or the reverse and that when the lever,7c has been so moved as to cause the toe of the latch to engage theintermediate -notch n3, the valve actuators will be retained in positionintermediate of the cams and the engine will be stopped.

Suitably insulated contact lingers project into the notches n2 and n3,and these contact fingers are included in electric circuits from anysuitable source of electrical energy, with the sparkers in the cylindersand with the lever 7s and its latch m. A binding post 02 serves asconvenient means forattachment of one of the conductors ofthe sparkercircuit, with the fingers 0. The contact points or fingers 0 and thelnotches n2 and at are so proportioned, that before the toe of the latchis fully withdrawn from one of the said notches, the electric sparkercircuit will be broken. As the contact fingers project only4 into thenotches n2 and at, of the segment n and as these fingers and the latch mare included in the sparker circuit, said circuit can be closed onlywhen the lever 7c is thrown to shift the valve actuators, either forforward or reverse running of the engine, so that unless the toe of thelatch is in either the notch n2 or n4, no explosions can occur in any ofthe cylinders.

Fronrthe above, it will be seen that as soon as the latch m is operatedto withdraw the toe of the latch from either of the notches the sparkingcircuit will be broken, and by the time that the lever la can be shiftedto the intermediateposition, with the toe of the latch engaging thenotch n3, and the operation of the valves stopped, eX- plosive chargeswill have entered the cylinders, but as the circuit of the sparkers hasbeen opened, these charges cannot now be exploded and will be trapped inthe cylinders, ready to be exploded as soon as ythe lever is thrown toone position or the other.

ln order to cause the engine to start in response to the movement of thelever to the operating notch, itv is necessary to provide means wherebythe same movement will be imparted to the timer or equivalent ignitingdevice. Owing to the balance of compression in two successivelyoperating cylinders, the engine will come to rest with the pistonstionary y timer-member.

in the two cylinders which would act next in the cycle of operations. ifthe ignition had not been cut off, at points substantially equidistantfrom the cylinder heads, and each in a favorable position to receive animpulse if the charge in the cylinder is ignited. Since one of thepistons will stop during its inward movement while the. other stopsduring its outward movement the cranks will be at opposite sides of thecenter, so that the engine will start in one direction or the otheraccording to which cylinder is first acted upon. Assuming the stationarymember of the timer to be in its normal position, the movable member ofthe timer will have passed the contact in one cylinder, but will nothave reached the contact in the nextcylinder, or, in other words, willstand somewhere between the two contacts so lthat no ignition can takeplace, even when the circuit is closed by the controlling lever, unlessone or the-other of the sets of timer contacts are brought together. Tovstart the engine forward, therefore, it is necessary to move thenormally stationary timer member forward, and to startthe engine in areverse direct-ion it is necessary to move said member back. In order tomake the operationl positive, the stationary timer member, in

accordance with the invention, is connected with the controlling lever7c and is arranged to have a movement sufficient to throw it thedistance between adjacent contact devices, while the starting lever ismoved from either one of its operating positions to its intermediateposition.

In the construction shown, the sliding member z' is provided with aslotted projection 2. which receives the end of an adjust able pin g5 inan arm g4, connected with the timer, as will be hereinafter described,so that the longitudinal movementof the slidemember is imparted to thenormally sta- Provision .is also made for lost-motion if the operatinglever is moved farther in the same direction, the connection being africtional one, however, so that if the operating lever is moved back itwill carry the timer member with it.

In the construction shown, the stationary timer member p which consists,as usual, of a ring of insulating material containing the severalcontacts which lead to the spark plugs, is frictionally held upon a diskq by means of springs q2 which hold the disk and the rin@ together, sothat the movement of the dis i will be imparted to `the rino unless suchmovement is resisted.i The disk r] isv mounted on a sleeve Q3 which isconnected by means of the arm 1]* with the main actuating lever asabove, thc proportionsbeing such that the movement of the main actuatinglever from the middle notch n310 either of the operating notches willmove the disk g a distance substantially equal to the distance betweenthe adjacent sides of the spark plug contact members. If the engine isbeing reversed from the direction in which it is running when stopped,the ring 79 will remain stationary, but if'the engine is being startedin the same direction, the ring 79 will be moved the distance betweentwo contacts, as more fully described hereinin'g that the pistons in twosuccessively operating cylinders will nally stand substantiallyequi-distant from the cylinder heads and with the cranks at oppositesides of the shaft, as indicated in Fig. 3. Referring to Fig. 2, andassuming that the sequence of tiring is as indicated by the numerals 1to 6 in the cylinders, we may also assume that the engine has come torest with cylinders l and 2 in firing condition, that is to say, thecylinders containing the pistons a and b, respectively. With the pistonsin this position, the movable timer contact will have passed beyond theterminal leading to the spark plug in cylinder 1, since, under runningconditions, thecharge in said cylinder would have been exploded beforethe piston .reached the position shown. At the same time, the timercontact 'would not have reached the member leading to the spark plug incylinder -2, since, under normal run ning conditions, the movement ofsaid pis* ton would be upward in its action of iinal compression of thecharge before the ignition thereof. Referring to Fig. 5, the conductoram may be regarded as controlling the spark plug in the cylinder 1, andthe conductor 51 as controlling the s-park plug in the cylinder 2. Inthe movement of the lever lc, however, from the operative to theintermediate position, the timer member 7? has been shifted in thedirection of the arrow, the saidk timer member being carried through itsfrictional connection with the disk g until the handle 3 reaches thestop 794,' so that the said mem er 79 will stand in the position shownin Fig. 5 regardless of the extent of movement of the member g 'throughthe tendency of the lever c. If,

therefore, during the running of the engine, the handle 793 has beenmoved in the direction of the arrow for the purpose of advancing thespark, it will, upon stopping the engine, come in contact with the stop794 prior to the complete movement of the actuating lever, and will beproperly positioned by said stop in the starting position. XVith the itimer contact in the position shown in Fig. 5, if the circuit is closed,ignition will take place in the cylinder 2, thus giving an impulse tothepistony b' which will start the engine in the reverse direction.\ At thesame time, the shifting movement of the timer member controlled by thestops has placed the successive contacts in such position as to explodethe charges in the successive cylinders at the right time. When,therefore, it is desired to reverse the engine the lever k is moved fromthe neutral notch to the reversing notch, 'the timer member remaining inthe position shown in Fig. 5, owing to the action of the stop 724 andthe. lost motion permitted by the frictional connection between thetimer member and the sleeve Q. In other words the movement of the sleeve(7, responding to the movement of the lever la, has no effect on thedistributing member 7) which remains in the position shown. If, on thecontrary, it is desired to start the engine forward, the movement of thelever c back lto the notch in which it originally stood will shift thetimer member back to the other stop p4, since there is nothing else inlthe path of the handle 793 to prevent such movement, such distance beingsutlicient to bring the terminal of conductor am into contact with theback of the traveling terminal, thus causing an explosion in cylindernumber 1, so as to start the engine forward. The shifting of the timermember thus not only serves to insure the making of the proper contactto start the engine in either direction, but also serves to compensatefor the width of the terminals, so that the spark willibe properly timedwhen the engine is traveling ineither direction. I `urthermore, thehandle 793 can be utilized to advance the spark as the engine speeds up,the position shown, as determined by the stop 79, being the normalretarded sparking position for slow speed or starting.

In applying this principle to two-cycle engines, the starting lever Noand the circuit controllers operated thereby will be connected directlyto the timer member g3", Fig. 6, which is the equivalent of the sleeveq, the said lever 701 cooperating with circuit controllers in notches712 and n4". The action of the timer is the same except that a littlelonger throw of the timer member is required owing to the fact that in athree-cylinder, two-cycle engine, the spark plug terminals are onlythree in number, and are 120, instead of 60 apart.

Claims:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a timer comprising a travelingcontact and a series of contacts adjustable to advance or `retard thespark, combined with a circuit closer governing the ignition circuit; anactuator adapted to open one member of said circuit closer; andconnectin g mechanism between said actuator and said series of contactswhereby said series of contacts are placed in a predetermined positionprior to the closing of the circuit.

2. The combination with an linternal combustion engine of valvecontrolling devices;

means for shifting said val-ve controllingy devices to time the valvesfor the operation 'of the engine in either direction; an ignitioncircuit; a circuit breaker included inthe ignition circuit; an actuatinglever common to said valve shifting means and said circuit breaker; andmeans. whereby said circuit breaker must be operated prior to themovement of the actuating lever which operates the valve shifting means.

3. rIhe combination With a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine; ofan ignition timer; means for positioning the timer for ahead or reverseoperation; means for controlling the operation of the cylinder valves; acircuit closer for'the ignition circuit; and a common actuating handlefor the ,means for positioning the timer, the means for controlling theoperation of the cylinder valves and one member of the circuit closer,the relation of the circuit closing member operated by the handle to theother member of the circuit closer being such that `the circuit can beclosed or opened only by a manual operation of the controlling handle toand from a predetermined position.

4. In a reversible internal combustion engine, the combination with avalve gear, timer and shifting mechanism com-mon to the said valve gearand timer; of igniting devices; and means whereby the igniting devicesare controlled by said shifting mechanism so that no ignition can takeplace prior to the complete shifting of the valve gear and timer.

5. In a reversibleiinternal combustion engine, the combination With avalve gear, timer and shifting mechanism `common to said valve gear andtimer; of a circuit lcloser governing the ignition circuit andcontrolled by said shifting mechanism whereby the ig nition circuit canbe closed only after the shifting movement of the shift-ing mechanismhas been completed.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with ignitingdevices for the several cylinders; of a timer; a shiftable contactmember carrying the contacts Which severally control the ignition in theseveral cylinders; stops limiting the movement of said Contact member;an actuator to produce the shifting movement of said contact member; anda yielding connection between said actuator and said shifting member,substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. rllhe combination in an internal combustion engine, of a cam shaft;longitudinally movable valve actuators; an actuating lever connectedwith said longitudinally movable valve actuators to shift the ,samerelatively to the cams on the cam shaft, and a circuit closer for theignition circuit operated by saidv actuating lever to positively closethe circuit-at the end of the movement of said actuating lever "torunning position, the circuit being broken When the actuating lever isin any other position.,

8. The combination in an internal combustion engine, of a `series ofcams, valve actuators to be operated by said cams, a

lever for shifting said actuators relatively to the cams, a segmenthaving a series of three notches, contact lingers project-ing into twoend notches of the series and a latch carried by said lever and having atoe to ent-er one or another of said notches, said contact fingers andlatch included in circuit With the sparker of the engine.

9. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a plurality ofcylinders, igniting devices and valves ;v of actuators for 'said valves;a timer in the circuit of the igniting devices; a circuit breaker alsoin t-he circuit of the `igniting devices; and a single actuating handlecommon to the valve actuators, timer and circuit breaker, for operating'the circuit breaker and shifting the valve actuators and thedistributing contacts of the timer.

10. In an internal combustion engine, the

' combination with a series of cylinders provided with igniting devicesand valves; of valve actuators, a longitudinally movable member to whichsaid valve actuators are attached, atimer comprisinga normallystationary member carrying a series of contacts, and` a rotary membercarrying` a contact Within the normally stationary `member of the timer,a tubular shaft to which the normally stationary member of the timer issecured, an arm on said tubular shaft., a pin projecting from said arm,a slotted arm projecting from i the longitudinally movable shaftandreceiving said pin, a timer shaft passing through the tubular shaftand carrying the rotary member of the timer, means for driving saidtimer shaft, and means for' moving the longitudinally movable shaft toshift the valve actuators and the normally stationary member of thetimer.

11. In a reversible internal combustion engine, the combination With avalve gear and a distributing ignition timer member; of shiftingmechanism for said valve gear and said timer member; and common meansfor operating said shifting mechanism and closing the circuit throughthe timer.

12. In an internal combustion engine7 an ignition system including meansfor timing the ignition; a circuit closer for the ignition circuit; anactuator for said circuit closer;

and connecting mechanism between said actuator and the means for timingthe igni tion, whereby the operation of t-he said means for timing theignition is completed prior to the closure of the circuit.

13. In an internal combustion engine, an ignition system including meansfor timing and operating theignition; an actuator for said timing andoperatingmeans, having stopped and running positions; and connectingmechanism between said actuator and said timing means, whereby theignition system is set for the retarded ignition by the movement of thecontroller from running to stopped position.

In testimony whereof, we-have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM B. SMITH VVHALEY. ALBERT L. GALUSHA.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. LIVERMORE, JAS. J. MALONEY.

